Agroecology-oriented farmers’ groups. A missing level in the construction of agroecology-based local agri-food systems?

The efforts of agroecology-oriented farmers and peasants’ organizations have been studied in depth relation to their political expression, but less so with regard the forms they adopt strengthen socio-economic viability small- medium-sized farms within sustainable food systems. Whilst farmers’ self-organization represents a core process development Agroecology-based Local Agri-food Systems (ALAS), collective, economic structures among is still weak. In an attempt understand why how are constructing own position ALAS, challenges facing this sense, we conducted qualitative study on self-organizational processes five Agroecology-Oriented Farmers’ Groups Spain. Based 27 interviews six online, participatory workshops, our results reveal different reasons for joining setting up groups as non-mixed collective spaces, instrumental social factors constituting principal motivations. Politics advocacy aroused controversy were only observed biggest, most powerful well-structured organizations. main identified refer precariousness isolation farmers, well local groups. weakness highlights need further action-oriented research accompaniment